Meter for use with a distributed energy resource device

ABSTRACT

An electric meter includes a housing, a first set of connection paths, and a second set of connection paths. The first set of connection paths couple to a meter socket and are electrically coupled to a first electrical connection path between first phases of an electric distribution power source, a distributed energy resource device, and a load. First electrical metrology components of the first electrical connection path are positioned within a first segment of the housing. The second set of connection paths couple to a meter socket and are electrically coupled to a second electrical connection path between second phases of the electric distribution power source, the distributed energy resource device, and the load. Second electrical metrology components of the second electrical connection path are positioned within a second segment of the housing that is non-overlapping with the first segment of the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/914,205, filed Oct. 11, 2019, and is titled“METER AND SOCKET FOR USE WITH A DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCE DEVICE,”the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by this reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to an electric meter. Moreparticularly, this disclosure relates to an electric meter for use witha distributed energy resource device.

BACKGROUND

Distributed energy resource (DER) devices, for example, solar panels,wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries, etc. are typically wired intothe grid with a connection into a circuit breaker in an electrical panelwithin a customer's premises. If metering of the DER device is required,a separate meter is typically mounted on the customer's wall for thispurpose. One or more disconnect switches are typically also mounted onthe customer's wall.

There is an increase in the use of DER devices by energy consumers,including residential consumers. Currently, when a consumer wants toconnect a DER device at a premises, a utility and an electricianinstalling the DER device must coordinate and be on the premises at thesame time. The utility disconnects the power to the meter socket. Afterthe power is disconnected, the electrician connects the DER device“behind the meter.” In some installations, a separate meter for the DERdevice may be required. After the DER device is installed, the utilityre-connects the power to the meter socket. A system for connecting a DERdevice to an existing utility service without coordination between theutility and the electrician is desirable.

SUMMARY

Systems for connecting distributed energy resource devices withdistributed energy resource meters are provided.

According to various aspects of the present disclosure, an electricmeter includes a housing, a first set of connection paths, and a secondset of connection paths. The first set of connection paths couple to ameter socket and are electrically coupled to a first electricalconnection path between first phases of an electric distribution powersource, a distributed energy resource device, and a load. Firstelectrical metrology components of the first electrical connection pathare positioned within a first segment of the housing. The second set ofconnection paths couple to a meter socket and are electrically coupledto a second electrical connection path between second phases of theelectric distribution power source, the distributed energy resourcedevice, and the load. Second electrical metrology components of thesecond electrical connection path are positioned within a second segmentof the housing that is non-overlapping with the first segment of thehousing.

In another example, a system includes an electric meter socket and anelectric meter that mates with the electric meter socket. The electricmeter includes a housing, a first set of connection paths, and a secondset of connection paths. The first set of connection paths couple to ameter socket and are electrically coupled to a first electricalconnection path between first phases of an electric distribution powersource, a distributed energy resource device, and a load. Firstelectrical metrology components of the first electrical connection pathare positioned within a first segment of the housing. The second set ofconnection paths couple to a meter socket and are electrically coupledto a second electrical connection path between second phases of theelectric distribution power source, the distributed energy resourcedevice, and the load. Second electrical metrology components of thesecond electrical connection path are positioned within a second segmentof the housing that is non-overlapping with the first segment of thehousing.

In another example, a system for metering a distributed energy resourcedevice includes an electric meter and an electric meter socket theelectrically couples to the electric meter. The electric meter includesa housing, a first set of connection paths, and a second set ofconnection paths. The first set of connection paths couple to a metersocket and are electrically coupled to a first electrical connectionpath between first phases of an electric distribution power source, adistributed energy resource device, and a load. First electricalmetrology components of the first electrical connection path arepositioned within a first segment of the housing. The second set ofconnection paths couple to a meter socket and are electrically coupledto a second electrical connection path between second phases of theelectric distribution power source, the distributed energy resourcedevice, and the load. Second electrical metrology components of thesecond electrical connection path are positioned within a second segmentof the housing that is non-overlapping with the first segment of thehousing. The electric meter socket includes a first line connection pathand a second line connection path within the electric meter socket thatform a first line electrical connection and a second line electricalbetween the electric meter and line voltage wirings of the electricdistribution power source. The electric meter socket also includes afirst distributed energy resource connection path and a seconddistributed energy resource connection path within the electric metersocket that form a first distributed energy resource electricalconnection and a second distributed energy resource electricalconnection between the electric meter and distributed energy resourcevoltage wirings of the distributed energy resource device. Further, theelectric meter socket includes a first load connection path and a secondload connection path within the electric meter socket that form a firstload electrical connection and a second load electrical connectionbetween the electric meter and the load. Furthermore, the electric metersocket includes at least one neutral connection path within the electricmeter socket that forms a neutral electrical connection between theelectric meter and neutral wires of the electric distribution powersource, the distributed energy resource device, and the load.

These illustrative aspects and features are mentioned not to limit ordefine the presently described subject matter, but to provide examplesto aid understanding of the concepts described in this application.Other aspects, advantages, and features of the presently describedsubject matter will become apparent after review of the entireapplication.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects and features of the various embodiments will be more apparent bydescribing examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating electrical connections between adistributed energy resource (DER) meter and a meter socket in accordancewith various aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front view of an example of a 15-terminal meter socket inaccordance with various aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of terminals of the 15-terminal meter socket of FIG.2 in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a possible alternative configuration for aneutral terminal of the meter socket of FIG. 2 in accordance withvarious aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an example of a DER meter being installed in the meter socketof FIG. 2 in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a blade portion of a DER meter inaccordance with various aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the DER meter of FIG. 6 in accordance withvarious aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the DER meter of FIG. 6 with a cover andprinted circuit board assembly removed in accordance with variousaspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is an example of a side view of the DER meter of FIG. 8 with aswitch cover removed in accordance with various aspects of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 10 is an example of a perspective view of the DER meter of FIG. 9in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is an example of a side view of the DER meter of FIG. 6 with aprinted circuit board assembly and a cover removed in accordance withvarious aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is an example of a perspective view of the DER meter of FIG. 11in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 13 is an example of a perspective view of the DER meter of FIG. 6in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is an example of a diagram of blades of the DER meter of FIG. 1in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While certain examples are described herein, these examples arepresented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of protection. The apparatuses and systems described herein may beembodied in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions,substitutions, and changes in the form of the example methods andsystems described herein may be made without departing from the scope ofprotection.

Systems are provided for connecting distributed energy resource (DER)devices with metering devices. Currently there is no standard system forconnecting DER devices to the grid. Existing systems often rely oncoordination between a utility that owns a utility metering device andan electrician installing the DER device. For example, the utility maybe required to remove the utility metering device while the electricianis on premises to install the DER device. Upon installation of the DERdevice, the utility has to reinstall the utility metering device.

A DER meter is described herein that provides a mechanism to meterelectricity originating from both a DER device and the utility. The DERmeter may mate with a DER-enabled meter socket at a customer premises.For the purpose of this disclosure, a DER device is defined as anyresource on an electric distribution system (i.e., a grid) that producesor stores electricity that can be provided to the distribution system,or any large load device that can be controlled to manage overall peakload of the distribution system. For example, the DER device may be aresidential solar installation or a residential wind turbineinstallation, with or without local battery storage.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram 100 illustrating electrical connectionsbetween a distributed energy resource (DER) meter 102 and a meter socket104 in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. TheDER meter 102 and the meter socket 104 are located at a customerpremises (e.g., a residential building, a commercial building, etc.).The DER meter 102 measures and controls electricity delivered to thecustomer premises via an electric distribution system (i.e., a grid 108)and electricity generated or otherwise stored at the customer premisesvia a DER device (i.e., a DER device 116). Accordingly, the DER meter102 includes sufficient connection points to receive electricityprovided from the grid 108, to receive electricity provided from the DERdevice 116, and to provide electricity to an electrical service 110.

The DER meter 102 may be combined with a communications module to enablethe DER meter 102 to communicate with other meters and with a utility.As illustrated in FIG. 1, power from the grid 108 (i.e., the electricdistribution system) is supplied to the meter socket 104 throughelectrical wiring L1 (Line) and L2 (Line). Electrical wiring L1 (Line)and L2 (Line) may provide power from two phases of the grid 108. Aneutral wire N, sometimes referred to as ground, is connected betweenthe grid 108, the electrical service 110, and the DER device 116, forexample, at an electrical service panel at a residential or commercialcustomer premises.

The electrical service or load 110 is also connected to the meter socket104 via corresponding electrical wiring L1 (Load) and L2 (Load). Themeter socket 104 may be a socket, such as a form 14S, 15S, or 16S metersocket, that includes electrical connectors to provide electricalconnections to a conventional meter when a conventional meter is pluggedinto the meter socket 104. Other meter socket forms for the meter socket104 are also contemplated. An electrical connection between the grid 108and the electrical service 110 is formed through the DER meter 102 whenthe DER meter 102 is plugged into the meter socket 104. Within the DERmeter 102, voltage and current provided by the grid 108 to theelectrical service 110 is measured, or metered, by measuring devices.The measuring devices may be, for example, voltage transducers 112 andcurrent transducers 114 that measure electrical characteristics ofvoltage and current waveforms, respectively. Power delivered to theelectrical service 110 may be calculated based on the voltage andcurrent measurements.

Output wirings from the DER device 116 may also be connected atconnection points within the meter socket 104. A neutral wire Nconnection 118 may be formed at a connection point within the metersocket 104 to connect the neutral wires from the grid 108, the DERdevice 116, the electrical service 110, and the DER meter 102. In one ormore examples, the connection points for the DER device 116 may bepositioned on a side 120 of the meter socket 104. For example, the side120 of the meter socket 104 may be any side of the meter socket 104 thatdoes not interface with the DER meter 102 (e.g., a side that is exposedwhile the meter socket 104 is coupled to the DER meter 102). Positioningthe connection points on the side 120 may provide an easily accessiblelocation for the DER device 116 to connect with the meter socket 104.

The connection points within the meter socket 104 may provide electricalconnections between the meter socket 104 and the DER meter 102. Forexample, the connection points for the lines L1 (Line) and L2 (Line) atthe meter socket 104 from the grid 108 may electrically connect thelines L1 (Line) and L2 (Line) from the grid 108 to the DER meter 102.Similarly, the lines L1 and L2 from the DER device 116 and the lines L1(Load) and L2 (Load) to the electrical service 110 may be electricallyconnected to the DER meter 102 through the connection points within themeter socket 104. Similar to the lines L1 (Line) and L2 (Line) from thegrid 108, the lines L1 and L2 from the DER device 116 may providevoltages having different electrical phases. Further, the connectionpoint for the neutral wire N may also have an electrical connection in acorresponding receptacle of the meter socket 104.

The connection points (e.g., receptacles) included in the meter socket104 may accommodate insertion of connecting components (e.g., bladeconnectors) on the DER meter 102 to form electrical connections betweenthe meter socket 104 and the DER meter 102. Other electrical couplingsare also contemplated between the meter socket 104, the DER device 116,and the DER meter 102. When the connecting components of the DER meter102 are inserted into the receptacles of the meter socket 104,electrical connections may be formed between the DER meter 102 and thelines L1 (Line) and L2 (Line) from the grid 108, between the DER meter102 and the lines L1 and L2 from the DER device 116, and between the DERmeter 102 and the lines L1 (Load) and L2 (Load) to the electricalservice 110. The connection points and connecting components (e.g.,receptacles and blade connectors) may generally be referred to as matingconnectors.

When the connecting components of the DER meter 102 are inserted intothe receptacles of the meter socket 104, and when the connectingcomponents of the DER device 116, the grid 108, and the electricalservice 110 are inserted into the receptacles of the meter socket 104,an electrical connection may be formed between the neutral wire N andthe DER meter 102. The electrical connection of the neutral wire N withthe DER meter 102 may provide an electrical reference point to enablevoltage measurements from L1 (Line) to neutral and L2 (Line) to neutralat the voltage transducers 112 within the DER meter 102. The ability toperform these voltage measurements at the DER meter 102 may allow formore advanced and higher fidelity metering than is possible with astandard 2S meter form, for example, which only has L1 (Line) and L2(Line) connections available (i.e., no neutral N connection) andtherefore can only measure line to line voltage (i.e., from L1 (Line) toL2 (Line)). The DER meter 102 may also perform current measurements onthe L1 (Line) and L2 (Line) lines from the grid 108 using the currenttransducer 114 a and 114 b, the electrical service 110 using the currenttransducers 114 c and 114 d, and the DER device 116 using the currenttransducers 114 d and 114 e. The ability to perform L1 (Line) to neutraland L2 (Line) to neutral voltage measurements at the DER meter 102 aswell as performing the current measurements at the DER meter 102 mayenable implementation of various applications such as loaddisaggregation algorithms.

In an example, the current transducers 114 c and 114 d may not beincluded in the DER meter 102. In such an example, the current to theelectrical service 110 (e.g., the load) may be measured using analgebraic sum of currents from the grid 108 and the DER device 116. Thefollowing equations may be used:I _(LOAD-L1) =−I _(LINE-L1) −I _(DER-L1)  (Equation 1)I _(LOAD-L2) =−I _(LINE-L2) −I _(DER-L2)  (Equation 2)where I_(LOAD-L1) is a calculated current at L1 (Load), I_(LINE-L1) is ameasured current at L1 (Line), I_(DER-L1) is a measured current at L1(DER), I_(LOAD-L2) is a calculated current at L2 (Load), I_(LINE-L2) isa measured current at L2 (Line), and I_(DER-L2) is a measured current atL2 (DER).

The lines L1 (Line) and L2 (Line) from the grid 108 may provide linevoltages having different electrical phases. The different electricalphases may be generated by a local distribution transformer (e.g., apole-mounted transformer located near the meter) or may be differentelectrical phases generated at a substation. Similarly, the lines L1 andL2 from the DER device 116 may provide line voltages having differentelectrical phases. The electrical phases of the line voltages on thelines L1 and L2 provided by the DER device 116 may be synchronized withthe electrical phases of the line voltages on the lines L1 (Line) and L2(Line) provided by the grid 108.

Embodiments of meter sockets and meters in accordance with the presentdisclosure may include more or fewer connection points or receptaclescorresponding to different phases of line voltages. For example, whenonly one line voltage phase is connected (e.g., phase A) fewerconnection points and receptacles may be included in the meter socketsince connection points for additional phases (e.g., phase B and phaseC) are not needed. Similarly, when three line voltage phases areconnected (e.g., phases A, B, and C) additional connection points andreceptacles may be included in the meter socket.

In an example, a disconnect switch 122 is included in the DER meter 102.In such an example, the disconnect switch 122 may remain open when thevoltage transducers 112 a and 112 b do not detect a voltage from thegrid 108. Further, the disconnect switch may be used as a mechanism tosynchronize voltage phases from the DER device 116 with the grid 108.For example, the voltage transducers 112 c and 112 d may measure thevoltage supplied by the DER device 116 while the voltage transducers 112a and 112 b measure the voltage supplied by the grid 108 while thedisconnect switch 122 is open. Upon reaching synchronization between theDER device 116 and the grid 108 during a synchronization operation, thedisconnect switch 122 may close. Further, the disconnect switch 122 maydisconnect the DER meter 102 from the L1 (Line) and L2 (Line)connections to the grid 108. The ability to disconnect the DER meter 102from the grid 108 may enable “islanding,” which involves disconnectingthe DER meter 102 from the grid 108 and supplying power to theelectrical service 110 only from the DER device 116.

The DER meter 102 may also include an integrated, controllableelectrical disconnect switch 124 that disconnects or protects the DERdevice 116. In some example, a disconnect switch 125 between the DERdevice 116 and the socket 104 may also be included to disconnect orprotect the DER device 116. Additionally, a circuit breaker 126 may bepositioned between the DER device 116 and the socket 104 or within theDER meter 102. In an example, a single device may perform both functionsof a circuit breaker and a separate electrical disconnect device todisconnect the lines L1 and L2 of the DER device 116 from the DER meter102. In an example, the circuit breaker 126 may disconnect the DERdevice 116 from the DER meter 102 upon occurrence of an electricalfault. The circuit breaker 126 may be integrated into the DER meter 102.Additionally, the circuit breaker 126 may be controlled locally orremotely.

The controllable electrical disconnect switch 124 may be controlled by aprocessor (not shown) and a communications module (not shown) of the DERmeter 102. The controllable electrical disconnect switch 124 may operateautomatically to disconnect the DER device 116 from the grid 108, forexample, when a high load is detected at voltage transducers 112 e and112 f or when the electrical service or load 110 is disconnected fromthe meter. In some examples, the controllable electrical disconnectswitch 124 may operate automatically to disconnect the DER device 116from the grid 108 based on a command received from the DER meter 102 oranother device.

The controllable electrical disconnect switch 124 may connect ordisconnect the DER device 116 with the DER meter 102. In connecting theDER device 116 to the DER meter 102, the DER meter 102 may measure powerproduction or consumption of the DER device 116 as a separate value tothe energy consumed from or sent back to the electric distributionsystem (i.e., the grid 108) thereby providing billable data. Thebillable data (i.e., consumption from the grid 108 or production fedback to the grid 108) may be metered within the electricity meter using“net metering” or similar methods. Further, the controllable electricaldisconnect switch 124 may connect or disconnect the DER device 116 fromthe grid 108 based on power production or consumption requirements ofthe grid 108 and the DER device 116. Moreover, the disconnect switch 124may be used to electrically disconnect the DER device 116 from the DERmeter 102 to enable a technician to repair the DER meter 102, installthe DER meter 102, or to replace the DER meter 102.

In an example, the DER disconnect switch (i.e., the controllableelectrical disconnect switch 124) and the line disconnect switch (i.e.,the disconnect switch 122) may be implemented with a 4-position switch.The 4-position switch may enable the following: 1. connection of thegrid 108, the DER device 116, and the electrical service (load) 110; 2.connection of the grid 108 and the electrical service 110, with the DERdevice 116 disconnected; 3. connection of the electrical service 110 andthe DER device 116, with the grid 108 disconnected; and 4. disconnectionof the grid 108, the DER device 116, and the electrical service 110.Advantages of using a 4-position switch instead of two 2-positionswitches include reducing the cost and size of the components needed toprovide the switching functions.

The DER meter 102 may measure and control the electricity delivered tothe electrical service 110 via the grid 108, the DER device 116, orboth. The DER meter 102 may include a communications module (not shown)and a processor (not shown). The processor may be a microprocessor;however, embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are notlimited to such an implementation. For example, the processor may be amicroprocessor, microcomputer, computer, microcontroller, programmablecontroller, or other programmable device. One of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate that other variations may be implemented withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure.

The communications module may communicate via RF, cellular, PLC, or anyother suitable communications technology. The communications module mayreceive communications via a network that include instructions forcontrolling the controllable electrical disconnect switch 124. Thecommunications module may transmit information related to the operationof the meter and the measurements performed by the measurement devicesin the meter to other devices on the network or to a central system. Thecommunications module may also provide communication between the DERmeter 102 and the DER device 116.

In accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure, where theDER device 116 includes some form of electricity generator (e.g., solaror wind electricity generation) or a storage device, the DER meter 102may use information about the electric distribution system. Theinformation may include real-time electricity pricing or otherinformation to make decisions and to control the DER device 116. Forexample, the DER meter 102 may use information to determine whether theDER device 116 should send energy to the grid 108 (e.g., from solar orbattery storage, where battery storage could include batteries within anelectric vehicle or similar), whether the DER device 116 should consumeenergy from the grid 108 (e.g., to charge storage or allow large loadssuch as water heaters, pool pumps, etc. to run), whether the DER device116 should disconnect from the grid 108 (e.g., not consume energy fromthe grid 108 or send energy to the grid 108), or any combinationthereof. Appropriate control actions may be initiated by the DER meter102 based on the determination. One or ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that the above examples of decisions and control are notexhaustive and that other decisions and control operations may beperformed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an example of a 15-terminal meter socket 200in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. Theillustrated meter socket 200 is a 16S meter socket. The meter socket104, as depicted in FIG. 1, may be the 15-terminal meter socket 200. Inan example, the 15-terminal meter socket 200 may be arranged to housemultiple meter forms. For example, terminals 202 and 204 may be linesfor the L1 (Line) and L2 (Line) described in FIG. 1 and electricallycoupled to the grid 108. Terminals 206 and 208 may be lines for the L1(Load) and the L2 (Load) described in FIG. 1 and electrically coupled tothe electrical service 110. Terminals 210 and 212 may be lines for theL1 (DER) and the L2 (DER) described in FIG. 1 and electrically coupledto the DER device 116. In an example, terminal 214 may be electricallycoupled to the neutral wire N described in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagram 300 of the terminals 202-214 of the 15-terminalmeter socket 200 in accordance with various aspects of the presentdisclosure. The diagram 300 depicts how the terminals 202-214 of themeter socket 200 (e.g., a 16S meter socket) may be electrically coupledto the line (i.e., the grid 108), the load (i.e., the electrical service110), the neutral wire N, and, once installed, the DER device 116.

FIG. 4 is a diagram 400 of a possible alternative configuration for theneutral terminal 214 of the meter socket 200 in accordance with variousaspects of the present disclosure. Other arrangements are also possible,including arrangements that vary which terminals 202-214 are used forthe line, the load, the neutral wire N, and the DER device 116. Byproviding alternative arrangements of the neutral wire N in the metersockets 200 of FIGS. 3 and 4, the meter socket 200 may be incompatiblewith metering devices with an incompatible arrangement of connectionblades. That is, a metering device, such as the DER meter 102, wouldneed to be appropriately keyed to one of the meter sockets 200 in FIG. 3or 4 or any other arrangement of the meter socket 200.

FIG. 5 is an example of the DER meter 102 being installed in theDER-enabled meter socket 200 in accordance with various aspects of thepresent disclosure. In an example, the meter socket 200 includes anoptional DER connector 502 on the side 120 of the meter socket 200 inaccordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. The DERconnector 502 may be added to the meter socket 200 to facilitate thequick and efficient connection of a DER device 116. The DER connector502 may be integrated into the meter socket 200 or may be an optionaladd-on component.

To install the DER device 116 at a premises with existing service, anelectrician connects the DER device 116 to the DER connector 502, andthe utility replaces a traditional meter with the DER meter 102. The DERmeter 102 is also referred to herein as a multi-port meter. The DERconnector 502 and the meter socket 200 allow these steps to occurindependently. The electrician and the utility do not need to coordinatein such an instance. The electrician may connect the DER device 116 tothe DER connector before or after the utility replaces the traditionalmeter.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view 600 of a blade portion 602 of the DER meter102 in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In anexample, blades 604 and 606 electrically couple to L1 (Line) and L2(Line) of the DER meter 102, respectively. Blades 608 and 610 couple toL1 (Load) and L2 (Load) of the DER meter 102, respectively. Blades 612and 614 couple to L1 (DER) and L2 (DER) of the DER meter 102,respectively. Additionally, blade 616 couples to the neutral line N ofthe DER meter 102. As discussed above with respect to FIG. 4, the blades602-614 of the DER meter 102 may be keyed to fit within thecorresponding terminals 202-214 of the socket 200 of FIG. 4. Otherarrangements of the blades 602-614 are also contemplated.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view 700 of the DER meter 102 in accordance withvarious aspects of the present disclosure. The blade portion 602 of theDER meter 102 may be located on a base plate 702 and electrically couplewith a neutral busbar 704, an L1 (Line) busbar 706, an L2 (Line) busbar708, an L1 (Load) busbar 710, an L2 (Load) busbar 712, an L1 (DER)busbar 714, and an L2 (DER) busbar 716. An L1 interconnect busbar 718may electrically interconnect the L1 busbars 706, 710, and 714, and anL2 interconnect busbar 720 may electrically interconnect the L2 busbars708, 712, and 716.

In an example, a plastic cover 722 may fit over the busbars 704-720 anda line disconnect switch assembly 724. The line disconnect switchassembly 724 may be motor driven. That is, a motor may mechanicallydrive the line disconnect switch assembly 724 to an open position or aclosed position. Control of the line disconnect switch assembly 724 maybe provided by a controller 726 on a printed circuit board (PCB)assembly 728. In an example, the line disconnect switch assembly 724 maybe the disconnect switch 122 described above with respect to FIG. 1.

An L1 (Line) current transducer 730 may be positioned around the L1(Line) busbar 706, and an L2 (Line) current transducer 732 may bepositioned around the L2 (Line) busbar 708. The L1 (Line) currenttransducer 730 may be used to measure the current on the L1 (Line), andthe L2 (Line) current transducer 732 may be used to measure the currenton the L2 (Line). In an example, the L1 (Line) current transducer 730and the L2 (Line) current transducer 732 may be the current transducers114 a and 114 b, respectively, as depicted in FIG. 1.

Similar to the L1 (Line) current transducer 730 and the L2 (Line)current transducer 732, an L1 (Load) current transducer 734 may bepositioned around the L1 (Load) busbar 710, and an L2 (Load) currenttransducer 736 may be positioned around the L2 (Load) busbar 712. The L1(Load) current transducer 734 may be used to measure the current on theL1 (Load), and the L2 (Load) current transducer 736 may be used tomeasure the current on the L2 (Load). The L1 (Load) current transducer734 and the L2 (Load) current transducer 736 may be the currenttransducers 114 c and 114 d, respectively, as depicted in FIG. 1.

An L1 (DER) current transducer 738 may be positioned around the L1 (DER)busbar 714, and an L2 (DER) current transducer 740 may be positionedaround the L2 (DER) busbar 716. The L1 (DER) current transducer 738 maybe used to measure the current on the L1 (DER), and the L2 (DER) currenttransducer 740 may be used to measure the current on the L2 (DER). In anexample, the L1 (DER) current transducer 738 and the L2 (DER) currenttransducer 740 may be the current transducers 114 e and 114 f,respectively, as depicted in FIG. 1.

Disconnect switches 742 and 744 may also be positioned along a path ofthe L1 (DER) busbar 714 and the L2 (DER) busbar 716, respectively. Thedisconnect switches 742 and 744 may be controllable electricaldisconnect switches, such as the controllable electrical disconnectswitch 124 of FIG. 1. In an example, the disconnect switches 742 and 744may disconnect the DER device 116 from the DER meter 102 upon occurrenceof an electrical fault. Additionally, the disconnect switches 742 and744 may be controlled locally or remotely using the controller 726 or anadditional controller on the PCB assembly 728.

An additional L1 interconnect busbar 746 may electrically interconnectthe L1 components at another location, and an additional L2 interconnectbusbar 748 may electrically interconnect the L2 components at anotherlocation. An isolation cover 750 may be installed between the PCB 728and the L1 and L2 interconnect busbars 746 and 748. The isolation cover750 isolates the electrical components of the DER meter 102 from the PCBassembly 728. Additionally, an inner cover 752 may be positionedsurrounding the inner-components of the DER meter 102, and an outercover 754 may be positioned around the inner cover 752. In an example,the inner cover 752 may be an opaque plastic, while the outer cover 754is a transparent plastic.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view 800 of the DER meter 102 with the innercover 752, the outer cover 754, and the PCB assembly 728 removed inaccordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. Asillustrated, an air gap 802 may be maintained between exposed (e.g., notelectrically insulated) L1 components 804 and exposed L2 components 806of the DER meter 102 to provide isolation between the L1 components 804and the L2 components 806. In an example, the air gap 802 may bemaintained at a distance greater than 12 mm. In examples where the airgap 802 is smaller than 12 mm, the air gap 802 may be supplemented bythe addition of a plastic layer 808, or other physical boundary layer ofelectrically isolating material, to further isolate the L1 components804 from the L2 components 806.

FIG. 9 is an example of a side view 900 of the DER meter 102 inaccordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. Asillustrated, the DER meter 102 includes a symmetrical design with the L1conductors on a first side 902 and the L2 conductors on a second side904, where the first side 902 is shown on a left side of FIG. 9, and thesecond side 904 is shown on a right side of FIG. 9. The air gap 802 mayisolate the L1 conductors on the first side 902 from the L2 conductorson the second side 904. In an example, any exposed (i.e., notelectrically insulated) conductors may be separated by the air gap 802with at least 12 mm of space.

The DER meter 102 may support billable grade metrology on the line,load, and DER ports and provide a bi-directional metering point on eachof the three ports. As used herein, the term billable grade metrologymay refer to a metrology system that is capable of performing meteringoperations to provide measurements of the amount of energy provided bythe DER device 116 to the premises or the grid 108, as well as the timewhen the energy is provided.

FIG. 10 is an example of a perspective view of the DER meter 102 inaccordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. The L1 (Line)current transducer 730 may be positioned around the L1 (Line) busbar706, and an L2 (Line) current transducer 732 may be positioned aroundthe L2 (Line) busbar 708 (shown above with respect to FIG. 7). The L1(Load) current transducer 734 may be positioned around the L1 (Load)busbar 710, and an L2 (Load) current transducer 736 may be positionedaround the L2 (Load) busbar 712. Further, the L1 (DER) currenttransducer 738 may be positioned around the L1 (DER) busbar 714, and anL2 (DER) current transducer 740 may be positioned around the L2 (DER)busbar 716.

The L1 (Line) current transducer 730, the L1 (Load) current transducer734, and the L1 (DER) current transducer 738 are each located on thefirst side 902 of the DER meter 102. As illustrated, the first side 902of the DER meter 102 is associated with the L1 conductors. Further, theL2 (Line) current transducer 732, the L2 (Load) current transducer 736,and the L2 (DER) current transducer 740 are each located on the secondside 904 of the DER meter 102. As illustrated, the second side 904 ofthe DER meter 102 is associated with the L2 conductors.

FIG. 11 is an example of a side view 1100 of the DER meter 102 includingthe PCB assembly 728 and the covers 752 and 754 removed in accordancewith various aspects of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the DERmeter 102 includes a symmetrical design with the L1 conductors on a leftside 1102 and the L2 conductors on a right side 1104. The DER meter 102may support billable grade metrology on the line, load, and DER portsand provides a bi-directional metering point on each of the three ports.

In an example, the PCB assembly 728 may include the controller 726 thatis able to control operation of the line disconnect switch assembly 724,the DER disconnect switch 742, the DER disconnect switch 744, or anycombination thereof. The PCB assembly 728 may also include acommunications module (not shown) that provides communication betweenthe DER meter 102 and the DER device 116. In some examples, thecommunications module may also provide communication with a mesh networkof other metering devices, with other IoT devices, or any combinationthereof.

FIG. 12 is an example of a perspective view 1200 of the DER meter 102including the PCB assembly 728 and the covers 752 and 754 removed inaccordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. L1 and L2(Load) current transducers 734 and 736, L1 and L2 (Line) currenttransducers 730 and 732, and L1 and L2 (DER) current transducers 738 and740 are depicted in the DER meter 102. The L1 (Load) current transducer734, the L1 (Line) current transducer 730, and the L1 (DER) currenttransducer 738 are each located on the left side 1102 of the DER meter102. As illustrated, the left side 1102 of the DER meter 102 isassociated with the L1 conductors. Further, the L2 (Load) currenttransducer 736, the L2 (Line) current transducer 732, and the L2 (DER)current transducer 740 are each located on the right side 1104 of theDER meter 102. As illustrated, the right side 1104 of the DER meter 102is associated with the L2 conductors.

FIG. 13 is an example of a perspective view 1300 of the DER meter 102including the outer cover 754 in accordance with various aspects of thepresent disclosure. The outer cover 754 may be made from a transparent,plastic material. The transparent material of the outer cover 754 mayenable viewing of a display 1302. The display 1302 may visually displayinformation about the DER meter 102. For example, the display 1302 mayprovide an indication of kilowatt hours consumed over a specified timeperiod, such as a billing cycle.

In an example, a distance 1304 from the base plate 702 to an outwardfacing surface 1306 of the DER meter 102 may be approximately 1-inchlonger than a corresponding metering device without DER meteringcapabilities. For example, the dimension of an ANSI form 16S meter mayextend five inches from a base plate of the meter, while the DER meter102 extends approximately six inches from the base plate 702. Further,because the DER meter 102 does not require a collar (e.g., a spacingdevice that supports metrology of the DER device 116) installed betweenthe DER meter 102 and the socket 200, the distance 1304 that the DERmeter 102 extends from the socket 200 may be much shorter than adistance that a combination of a collar and a standard metering devicewould extend from the socket 200. For example, the collar and meteringdevice may extend three or more inches further outward in a direction1308 from the socket 200 than the DER meter 102.

In an example, the outer cover 754, or housing, may be generallycylindrical in shape or shaped like a conical frustum (e.g., with sidessloping toward a common point away from the base plate 702). The leftside 1102 of the DER meter 102 may be positioned within a firstsemicylinder 1310 of the outer cover 754. Similarly, the right side 1104of the DER meter 102 may be positioned within a second semicylinder 1312of the outer cover 754 that is different from the first semicylinder1310.

FIG. 14 is a diagram 1400 of blades 1404-1418 of a multi-port meter 1402(e.g., the DER meter 102) in accordance with various aspects of thepresent disclosure. The blades 1404-1418 may arranged in such a mannerto fit with a specific DER socket 104 arrangement. In an example, theblades 1414 and 1416 may connect to the neutral wire N, while the blades1704, 1706, 1708, 1710, 1712, and 1718 may each connect to a lineassociated with one of the grid 108, the DER device 116, or theelectrical service 110. For example, the blade 1404 may be coupled tothe L1 (Line) of FIG. 1, the blade 1406 may be coupled to the L2 (Line)of FIG. 1, the blade 1408 may be coupled to the L1 (Load) of FIG. 1, theblade 1410 may be coupled to the L2 (Load) of FIG. 1, the blade 1412 maybe coupled to the L1 (DER) of FIG. 1, the blade 1414 may be coupled to aneutral wire N of FIG. 1, the blade 1416 may also be coupled to theneutral wire N of FIG. 1, and the blade 1418 may be coupled to the L2(DER) of FIG. 1.

While the present subject matter has been described in detail withrespect to specific aspects thereof, it will be appreciated that thoseskilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing,may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents tosuch aspects. Accordingly, it should be understood that the presentdisclosure has been presented for purposes of example rather thanlimitation and does not preclude inclusion of such modifications,variations, and/or additions to the present subject matter as would bereadily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electric meter, comprising: a housing; a firstset of connection paths configured to couple to a meter socket andelectrically coupled to a first electrical connection path between afirst phase of an electric distribution power source, a first phase of adistributed energy resource device, and a first phase of a load, whereinfirst electrical metrology components of the first electrical connectionpath are positionable within a first segment of the housing; and asecond set of connection paths configured to couple to the meter socketand electrically coupled to a second electrical connection path betweena second phase of the electric distribution power source, a second phaseof the distributed energy resource device, and a second phase of theload, wherein second electrical metrology components of the secondelectrical connection path are positionable within a second segment ofthe housing that is non-overlapping with the first segment of thehousing, wherein the housing comprises a cylindrical shape, and whereinthe first segment comprises a first semicylinder of the housing and thesecond segment comprises a second semicylinder of the housing.
 2. Theelectric meter of claim 1, wherein the first electrical metrologycomponents comprise a first set of busbars and a first set of currenttransducers, wherein the second electrical metrology components comprisea second set of busbars and a second set of current transducers, andwherein the first electrical metrology components are separated from thesecond electrical metrology components by at least 12 mm.
 3. Theelectric meter of claim 1, wherein the first electrical metrologycomponents and the second electrical metrology components are separatedwith an air gap, a physical boundary, or a combination of both.
 4. Theelectric meter of claim 1, wherein the first electrical metrologycomponents comprise a first set of current transducers configured tomonitor current on the first phase of the electric distribution powersource, the first phase of the distributed energy resource device, andthe first phase of the load, and wherein the second electrical metrologycomponents comprise a second set of current transducers configured tomonitor current on the second phase of the electric distribution powersource, the second phase of the distributed energy resource device, andthe second phase of the load.
 5. The electric meter of claim 1, furthercomprising a set of blades, wherein each blade of the set of blades iselectrically coupled to a connection path of the first set of connectionpaths, the second set of connection paths, or a neutral connection path,and wherein the set of blades are installable within a 14S meter socket,a 15S meter socket, or a 16S meter socket.
 6. The electric meter ofclaim 1, further comprising: a base plate; and a communications modulepositionable within the housing at a first distance from the base platethat is greater than a second distance between the first and secondelectrical metrology components and the base plate, wherein thecommunications module is configured to enable communication with othermeters and with a utility.
 7. A system, comprising: an electric metersocket; an electric meter configured to mate with the electric metersocket, wherein the electric meter comprises: a housing; a first set ofconnection paths between the electric meter and the electric metersocket and electrically coupled to a first electrical connection pathbetween a first phase of an electric distribution power source, a firstphase of a distributed energy resource device, and a first phase of aload, wherein first electrical metrology components of the firstelectrical connection path are positionable within a first segment ofthe housing; and a second set of connection paths between the electricmeter and the electric meter socket and electrically coupled to a secondelectrical connection path between a second phase of the electricdistribution power source, a second phase of the distributed energyresource device, and a second phase of the load, wherein secondelectrical metrology components of the second electrical connection pathare positionable within a second segment of the housing that isnon-overlapping with the first segment of the housing, wherein thehousing comprises a cylindrical shape, and wherein the first segmentcomprises a first semicylinder of the housing and the second segmentcomprises a second semicylinder of the housing.
 8. The system of claim7, wherein the electric meter further comprises: a controllableelectrical disconnect switch configured to connect and disconnect thedistributed energy resource device from the electric distribution powersource based on power production or consumption requirements of theelectric distribution power source and the distributed energy resourcedevice, wherein the controllable electrical disconnect switch ispositionable along the first set of connection paths, the second set ofconnection paths, or a combination thereof.
 9. The system of claim 7,wherein the first electrical metrology components comprise a first setof busbars and a first set of current transducers, wherein the secondelectrical metrology components comprise a second set of busbars and asecond set of current transducers, and wherein the first electricalmetrology components are separated from the second electrical metrologycomponents by at least 12 mm.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein thefirst electrical metrology components and the second electricalmetrology components of the electric meter are separated with an airgap, a physical boundary, or a combination of both.
 11. The system ofclaim 7, wherein the electric meter further comprises: a circuit breakerpositionable along the first set of connection paths, the second set ofconnection paths, or a combination thereof within the housing, whereinthe circuit breaker is configured to electrically disconnect thedistributed energy resource device from the electric meter on anoccurrence of an electrical fault.
 12. The system of claim 7, whereinthe electric meter further comprises: a plurality of mating connectorsconfigured to form electrical connections to the first set of connectionpaths and the second set of connection paths, wherein the plurality ofmating connectors are configured to interact with the electric metersocket, and wherein at least one mating connector of the plurality ofmating connectors is configured to electrically couple with a neutralline.
 13. The system of claim 7, wherein first electrical metrologycomponents and the second electrical metrology components comprise aplurality of measurement devices configured to measure first electricalcharacteristics of voltage and current waveforms provided to the loadand to measure second electrical characteristics of voltage and currentwaveforms provided to the electric meter from the electric distributionpower source and the distributed energy resource device.
 14. A systemfor metering a distributed energy resource device, the systemcomprising: an electric meter comprising: a housing; a first set ofconnection paths electrically coupled to a first electrical connectionpath between a first phase of an electric distribution power source, afirst phase of a distributed energy resource device, and a first phaseof a load, wherein first electrical metrology components of the firstelectrical connection path are positionable within a first segment ofthe housing; and a second set of connection paths electrically coupledto a second electrical connection path between a second phase of theelectric distribution power source, a second phase of the distributedenergy resource device, and a second phase of the load, wherein secondelectrical metrology components of the second electrical connection pathare positionable within a second segment of the housing that isnon-overlapping with the first segment of the housing; wherein thehousing comprises a cylindrical shape, and wherein the first segmentcomprises a first semicylinder of the housing and the second segmentcomprises a second semicylinder of the housing; and an electric metersocket configured to electrically couple to the electric meter, whereinthe electric meter socket comprises: a first line connection path and asecond line connection path within the electric meter socket configuredto form a first line electrical connection and a second line electricalbetween the electric meter and line voltage wirings of the electricdistribution power source; a first distributed energy resourceconnection path and a second distributed energy resource connection pathwithin the electric meter socket configured to form a first distributedenergy resource electrical connection and a second distributed energyresource electrical connection between the electric meter anddistributed energy resource voltage wirings of the distributed energyresource device; a first load connection path and a second loadconnection path within the electric meter socket configured to form afirst load electrical connection and a second load electrical connectionbetween the electric meter and the load; and at least one neutralconnection path within the electric meter socket configured to form aneutral electrical connection between the electric meter and neutralwires of the electric distribution power source, the distributed energyresource device, and the load.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein theelectric meter further comprises: a plurality of blades associated withthe first set of connection paths and the second set of connectionpaths, wherein the plurality of blades are configured to form electricalconnections with a plurality of mating connectors of the electric metersocket.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first electricalmetrology components and the second electrical metrology componentscomprise a plurality of measurement devices configured to measureelectrical characteristics of voltage and current waveforms provided toor from the electric distribution power source, to or from thedistributed energy resource device, and to the load.
 17. The system ofclaim 14, wherein the first electrical metrology components and thesecond electrical metrology components are separated with an air gap, aphysical boundary, or a combination of both.
 18. The system of claim 14,wherein the electric meter further comprises: a circuit breakerconfigured to disconnect the distributed energy resource device from theelectric meter on an occurrence of an electrical fault.